The use of endoscopes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is well known in the medical field. Conventional flexible endoscopes incorporate a bundle of thin and flexible optical fibers for transmitting images or light illumination from and/or to an object distal to the insertion section of the endoscope. The fiber optic bundle typically comprises a plurality of optical fibers of glass or optical plastic.
Known problems associated with the use of fiber optic bundles include their degradation when used over a period of time. Such degradation is in part due to the repetitive flexing of the bundles during maneuvering about the operative site in the course of surgical procedures. It is also well known in the art that typical environmental degradation of fiber bundles includes development of harmful cracks occurring particularly at the imaging end faces of the bundles.
The fiber optic bundles are often joined with other optical components such as lenses, apertures and prisms, etc. The interface between these components is typically made of transparent adhesives applied there-between or, in the absence of adhesive, by maintaining an air gap at the interface. However, since the fiber optic end faces are very susceptible to environmental degradation, they may be deteriorated in the presence of air, moisture, or pH unbalanced adhesives at the interface.